Chick Fever!

Some of Miss Idgie's babies last summer

It has happened. I wondered if it would this year. Especially since I have been working 50-60 hour weeks for the past month. I have been so tired that I can't even think straight, but still, it happened. I have chick fever! Even with the very little free time that I have had, I have still been managing to pour over hatchery catalogs  and research new breeds that I don't have yet. All of those fuzzy little babies are invading my thoughts! The chicken math is taking over!
It is official! I have made my first chick order of the year! Last year was the first year that I bought chicks from a hatchery. Before that I had gotten them from a local man that has been raising them for most of his many years, or from the local feed store. Last year I bought my chicks and turkey poults from Murray McMurray. I was VERY happy with the birds, and with their customer service. I am also very partial to them because they put my son's picture in their catalog this year! I decided not to go with them this year, simply because of the distance the babies have to be shipped in order to get here. They up from way up in the northern states, and I am about as far south in the US as you can get! My chick order got lost last year, and while they replaced the entire order, no questions asked, before the box even made it (2 days late), I felt so badly that those poor little chicks had to go through it. I lost more than half of the order, although the second box got here without a problem. Not the hatchery's fault, but the longer the box has to go the more potential there is for problems to occur. I lost two of my turkeys as well, due to the long, hard, HOT, trip. I will never order chicks that late in the summer again! It is too hot down here.
This year I am trying Ideal Poultry. It is closer to me and it is the hatchery that my local feed store swears by.   I had planned to wait until later in the year, but my chick fever took over, and they were beginning to sell out of the breeds that I wanted already! I was so looking forward to adding some more Easter Eggers to my flock this year! They sold out... I will just have to find them somewhere else. I am so excited about the chicks I did order, though!

Water and Love Daily for Best Results! 

Firstly, I told my son that he could pick out two breeds of chicken. I made him sit down think about each breed, check out their qualities on Henderson's Chicken Breed List, read customer comments on the McMurray website, and weigh out the options. Things like, how well do they free range, how do they deal with the heat, what is their feed to egg ratio, and what is their temperament, were important factors. He decided on Silver Spangled Hamburgs (I think a very good choice!) and Gold laced Cochins (not so much). He has wanted Cochins since we first got chickens, though, so I figured I would give him a chance. I think he will have to give them a lot of extra care during the hot months though. He will get two of each of those along with the rest of my order.

 Our order consists of:

- 2 Silver Spangled Hamburg pullet                           ( Great free rangers, Good white
                                                                                  egg layers)
- 2 Gold Laced Cochin Pullets                                  ( Fair egg layers, very docile
                                                                                   and friendly)
- 2 Light Brown Leghorn pullets                                 (excellent feed to egg ratio,
                                                                                  beautiful, and I wanted to
                                                                                  add white eggs to our basket)
- 4 New Hampshire Pullets and 2 Roosters              ( Good brown egg layers, dual
                                                                                 purpose,Very quick maturing,
                                                                                 large, and good for use as meat)
                                                                               
- 6 Blue Silkies Straight run                                      ( Just because they are wonderful
                                                                                  brooders, mothers, and I really
                                                                                   really wanted some!)
- 25 Heavy Roosters                                               ( Meat birds until we can hatch our
                                                                                 own.I don't like cornish birds, and
                                                                                 I hate that the left over roosters are
                                                                                 usually "disposed of". At least they
                                                                                 will live a good life in the sun and
                                                                                 grass for a little while!)


I am getting them sooner than I had wanted, but I am already getting excited! They will ship on Feb 13th. Maybe I will get fuzzy little babies for Valentine's Day! I can't wait!